CD Reviews (From East London and West Essex Guardian Series)

CD Reviews

12:55pm Thursday 26th February 2009 in Staying in

Artist - Various Artists

Album - Dark Was The Night

Label - 4AD

The Red Hot Organisation has been releasing compilation albums for around 20 years now, raising funds for AIDS awareness since their first Red, Hot and Blue. This latest release is a double CD of edgy (US) indie darlings, including Arcade Fire, Feist, Sufjan Stevens, Bon Iver, My Morning Jacket and Beirut. Compiled by Aaron and Bruce Dessner of The National, the songs are mostly originals, and on the whole are pretty good. The best track is probably Feist and Ben Gibbard's cover of Train Song, although Jose Gonzalez Cello Song runs it close. If the compilation serves a great purpose other than its charity foundation, it might be to bring the listener into the music of acts such as Grizzly Bear, Andrew Bird, The Decemberists and Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings. A couple of songs are head-scratchers. Sufjan Stevens You Are The Blood starts well, but then throws in some skronk and squawk to the mix for another five minutes; normally-dependable Spoon's Well-Alright isn't strong, and Arcade Fire continue to puzzle how exactly did they become such indie icons If you're looking for an instant intro to the current A-list indie crowd, no album comes closer.

ACE Rating 9/10

Artist - Various Artists

Album - War Child Heroes Vol 1

Label - Parlophone Another charity album, this time supporting children who live with the effects of war. The twist here is that some major acts including Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, Paul McCartney, Stevie Wonder, Blondie, The Clash lend their names to the project by selecting a newer artist to cover one of their songs. A great way to get 30 name draws on a 15 song album, and the album does deliver some great moments. The Hold Steady do an OK job of Springsteen's Atlantic City (as any great bar band would), but some songs are reinvented Beck nails Dylan's Leopard-Skin Pillbox Hat, Lily Allen completely redoes The Clash's Straight To Hell, and Elbow's cover of U2's Running To Stand Still is excellent. There isn't much that makes this album cohere apart from the quality of the individual performances it is more of a collection, and less of an album. No one will mind that you buy individual tracks, however War Child have a great track record. This is their fifth such release, dating back to 1995's Help.

ACE Rating 8/10

Artist - M Ward

Album - Hold Time

Label - 4AD

Matt Ward enjoys some incredible critical acclaim for a man who makes what, in the end, are mostly nice albums. The mood running throughout Hold Time is a little like the old Leon Redbone British Rail Relax advert laid back, somewhat dreamy. With delicately strummed and picked guitar and a woozy, floaty voice, the songs drift in and out with ease. Fortunately, the songs themselves are mostly solid enough to work with such treatment. After last year's collaboration on She and Him with actress, Zooey Deschanel, this solo album does see her make a reappearance, along with Lucinda Williams and former Grandaddy singer Jason Lyttle. Ward has made harder-edged albums (Post War), and albums that remind the listener of his incredible guitar playing, but Hold Time succeeds in its holistic, cohesive approach: the dynamic is excellent (and maybe highlighted by a lovely cover of Buddy Holly's Rave On).

ACE Rating 8/10

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Adult Contemporary Essentials rating 9-10 Essential purchase 7-8 Good, definite buy if you've liked this artist in the past 5-6 OK only, don't say I didn't warn you 3-4 Poor, even for this artist 1-2 Awful All our reviews can be found at adultcontemporary.co.uk